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Innovation
Amena Al Bedwawi from the development
Department
in
Telecommunication
RegulatoryAuthorityparticipates in theedition
of this year from ‘My Ideas Initiative’, through
an initiative fromherown ideasand targets the
gratitude culture between the employees of
thegovernment authorities inUAE throughan
electronic device and a smart application.
AlBadwawiIdeaisaboutlaunching‘Happiness
Bank’ which is an electronic device and a
smart application used by the government
sector employees to express their happiness
and spread enjoyment and enthusiasm inside
the institution in which they work by sending
‘Happiness Cheques’ gift to their colleagues at
work. The ultimate goal of this idea is to spread
the culture of gratitude.
Al Badwawi confirmed that the person who
does not feel grateful cannot feel alive or
satisfied or happy or be positive. She referred
that the electronic device and the smart
application work on motivating and helping
the government employees to express their
gratitude and thanking others.
Regarding the operating mechanism of the
device, Al Badwawi explains: the invention
is a ‘Happiness Bank’ which is a device
that allows the employees to deposit their
gratitude cheques in which they write the
reasons behind their gratitude feelings;
when the cheque is deposited the employee
receives a point; then when he/ she gains
certain number of points he/ she receives a
physical prize.
Al Badwawi asserted that the invention in the
gratitude culture makes our society happier
and more positive, referring that she had
thought about the idea from her personal
experience. She believes in the importance
of the positive feelings, therefore she started
searching in the social sciences about ways
to enhance these feelings.
Al Bawawi was totally convinced in the idea
of spreading the gratitude culture after she
has read a study issued by the American
psychologist Professor Robert Emmons,
from California University Davis, He is
Editor-In-Chief of The Journal of Positive
Psychology,and one of the most active
researchers in the field of ‘thanking and
appreciation’whichis included inhis famous
book ‘THANKS! How the New Science of
Gratitude Can Make You Happier’ which is
considered the first of its kind in this field.
She referred that the study addressed the
meaning of thinking and feeling grateful.
She has discovered that being grateful
to someone, increases the feelings of
happiness inside the individual. Throughout
many studies conducted by Emmons,
he has concluded that being grateful and
acknowledging the favours of others leads to
making positive change in life.
She continues: thanking someone leads
to feeling healthy, happy, optimistic and
enjoying life. Furthermore, it works on
enhancing the self-power of the human
being and supporting his immunity system
and protecting him from diseases, and
consequently having a better physical and
psychological health. Additionally, being
grateful will leads to a better sleeping and
gaining more power, according to the study.
Accordingly, what increased Al Badwawi
certainty in the importance of appreciation
and thanking others is the conclusions of
the study that the life that is
ful of gratitude and appreciation
is connected with increasing
many factors including Happiness,
Wealth, Practicing sports, satisfaction,
optimism,
tolerance,
forgiveness,
enthusiasm, love and giving.
She also found that the persons who are
always grateful are less affected by diseases,
having low level of envying or being greedy
or dissatisfaction or bitterness. In addition,
they aremore capable and reliable in dealing
with stress and heavy duties.
It is worthmentioning that ‘My Ideas’ Initiation
is considered the first fund to finance the
governmentinnovativeideasontheworldlevel,
where the Federal Government employees
compete on improving and developing the
governmentworkandenhancing thegratitude
culture as a daily practice.
His Highness Mohammed Bin Rashid Al
Maktoum, vice president and primeminister
of the United Arab Emirates, Ruler of Dubai,
has launched this initiative in last November
to adopt the ideas of the government
employees explaining that this initiative is to
execute the bold and daring ideas.
His Highness wrote on his page on the social
network ‘Twitter’ that the initiative is targeted
to improve the federal government and
execute the ideas proposedby the employees,
by forming two team,; one to study the ideas
and the second for the implementation.
His highness launched an electronic
platform for the employees’ ideas and the
first financing Fund through the website
www.afkari.gov.aein Mohammed Bin
Rashid for Government Innovation.
Presented by Amena Al Bedwawi from ‘Telecommunications Authority’
Happiness Bank ..
A smart initiative to distribute the appreciation culture and
competition runs
on ‘My Ideas’